Vanilla

Chapter 1

"Dani Hills." My name echoed from the microphone on stage. It was said loud and clear, but I didn't recognize it. My name felt different. Like the person I am wasn't real.

"Dani." A girl whispered next to me as she tapped the back of my cold, sweaty hand. "They called your name. Go up."

I reluctantly nodded, muttering a scarcely 'thanks,' and got up. I walked onto the stage to retrieve my certificate. 

I was given an honor roll certificate, heavily framed. This was great to get, but I never thought it was good enough. Being perfect to accomplish everything was too much for me. I have to do everything I can to please my grandma. She's the reason I was here, standing on this stage, holding this, and she was the reason that I was still alive. I couldn't let her down, no matter what.

The principal called more names up to the stage, and my mind wasn't on the ceremony anymore. I was thinking too much of grandma. I was afraid of letting her down so much, but I also wanted to tell her the truth ― that I had lost myself. I used to love to draw art onto a blank white canvas, but after I was brought in by my grandma ― I couldn't seem to find interest in my talents anymore. Holding the framed certificate in my hand seemed useless to me but useful for grandma.

Why couldn't I smile at the students in front of me? They were smiling for me, but I wasn't smiling for them. If I did, I'd cry ― I'd cry knowing I hated being someone else. Even fake smiling seemed wrong. I couldn't lie to anyone about how I was feeling.

I needed to shut up these negative thoughts inside my head and pay attention to the ceremony. I couldn't allow myself to think harshly at a time like this. Focus, Dani. Focus.

"Lauren Brooks."

A girl with a thick head of long tight curls and a heavy amount of make-up walked onto the stage to retrieve her award. It was for an honor roll. She stood next to me as she smiled at the students in front of us. I wish I could smile like her.

Just as I was thinking that; I smelled a strong scent of her perfume. It was a sweet scent ― Vanilla. I strangely wasn't suffocating in this scent like the others, but it gradually seemed to calm me down by just smelling it. I took a breath and looked at the students and smiled. I smiled as if it wasn't hard to do. It wasn't. I couldn't tell what suddenly helped me smile; her scent of vanilla or her. If only I could tell her how much she helped me, but I couldn't ― I don't talk to people. I was an introvert. I didn't have many friends here except two and they were very protective of me.

"Melanin Jackson."

Melanin was one of the first friends I made in my entire life. All thanks to my mom, who made sure I had playdates with her as a kid. I have known her for so long, she's like a sister to me. She can get a little strict with me like how my mom used to be when a boy attempted to talk to me. Melanin would question them to see how they treated their women, and she'd question me to see what I intend to do with them. I couldn't argue with her about her actions. She was just trying to protect me as much as she could. She'd been doing it ever since my mom died.

Melanin stood on the other side of me since we didn't have to stand in order. She used her elbow to poke me in the side and smiled at me as she showed me her certificate. I was proud of her. I smiled back.

I'm lucky to have her as my friend.

My other friend, Lexie Daniels, wasn't here due to her low grades in class. She wasn't failing. She was just not scoring high enough to receive an award. She had been my friend since elementary school. Melanin fought her over a Barbie that she stole from Lexie. I stopped their little fight, and ever since then, we have been friends. I never seem to understand something about her though. She never seemed to want to talk about herself to us. We knew things about her that only she told us, but as long as I've known her. She'd been keeping secrets from both of us.